Howl of a time Dog park to open in East Ward

City set to open micro-dog park behind The Aud this September

KITCHENER — Dog owners in Kitchener’s East Ward are howling with joy after the city agreed to help them create a neighbourhood dog park.

For about a year, a group of residents in the Central Frederick and Auditorium neighbourhood have been advocating for a small space to let their dogs run free. They conducted surveys, mapped where dogs live in the neighbourhood, created a Facebook group and organized socials. The hard work paid off.

This September the city will pilot a fenced, microdog park behind The Aud, near a skate park along Stirling Avenue.

The off-leash area can only accommodate a few dogs at a time.

“We’re pleased, we’re really thrilled,” said Donna Cassidy, one of the residents who has been working to get the space.

Cassidy and her family have had a dog for most of the 35 years they’ve lived in the neighbourhood. Some have been smaller than others and didn’t need much exercise. But their current dog, Sparky, is a playful Labrador retriever cross who weighs 95 pounds.

“This dog is a big dog and he needs to run,” she said. And while Cassidy often ventures to other dog parks she, like many of her neighbours, really wanted something she could walk to.

The group thought a space behind The Aud would be a perfect spot, and the city agreed to try it out in what is a low-traffic area.

“The Aud has a good working rapport with the residents,” said Kim Kugler, director of sport and enterprises with the City of Kitchener.

Details about maintenance of the off-leash area are still being worked out but the city has agreed to supply the fencing.

“We’re working with the neighbours on what responsibilities they will have around managing that park and maintaining it, and what the city’s role and responsibilities will be,” Kugler said.

City Coun. Sarah Marsh has been supporting the residents since they approached her with their cause last year.

“It’s pretty wonderful to see the commitment of these dog owners, to take pride in their own neighbourhood dog park,” she said, adding that Kitchener’s neighbourhood strategy is helping human residents of the city take on projects such as this one.

“We’re doing all kinds of citizen-led, city-supported initiatives throughout the city and so this is just a really great example of that.”

DAVID BEBEE WATERLOO REGION RECORD Left to right, Django (a brown Lab), Toaster (a fox red Lab), Matthew Hill, Patch (a Bichon poodle), Susan Fulop, Lily (a border collie-Lab) and Donna Cassidy with her dog, Sparky (a Lab retriever), in Cassidy’s backyard. The human trio are the...